A group of 94 senators have signed a letter to Macron on France’s failure in Africa
A group of 94 French senators representing different political forces have signed an open letter to the country’s President Emmanuel Macron, declaring the failure of the country’s policy on the African continent.
The letter was authored by the first vice chairman of the Senate for international relations Roger Karuchi, the head of the “Republicans” faction in the Senate Bruno Retayo and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense Christian Cambon. A total of 348 senators make up France’s upper house of parliament.
“Today Niger, yesterday Mali, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso – rejected France, French forces, French enterprises,” reads the letter published in the newspaper Figaro.
The authors of the appeal recalled that after the failure of the French military operation “Barkhan” in Africa came the group “Wagner”, cooperating with those African leaders who unite the population of their countries against the former colonial power.
The letter also mentions demonstrations and “anti-French actions” that are taking place in countries considered close to France: the Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. In addition, the authors note problems with North African countries: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
“Yesterday’s French Africa is being replaced by a military Russian Africa, an economic Chinese Africa, and a diplomatic American Africa. And what about, alas, the decline of the French language vis-à-vis English?” – the senators wrote.
They wondered whether it was time to rethink the French vision of Africa and its ties to France. In their view, the time has probably come when “Africa, a friendly continent, no longer understands France and increasingly challenges its role and its presence.”
The letter has already been responded to by French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who in a statement quoted by Agence France-Presse attempted to dispute the senators’ words that Operation Barkhan was a failure. He acknowledged, however, that lessons should be learned from the operation,” as is the case with all crises and military operations.”
France launched Operation Barkhan in the Sahel region in 2014. This mission was supported by the G5 regional structure created in the same year. The stated goal of the operation in the Sahara-Sahel region (Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad) was to fight terrorism and stabilize the situation to the point where local authorities would be able to provide security themselves. In the summer of 2021, Macron announced the revision of the model of military presence in the Sahel: Operation Barkhan in its former form is over, it will be replaced by an international alliance, which will include the countries of the region and other partners. In 2022, the French military was forced to leave Mali.
On July 26, fighters of the Presidential Guard of Niger announced the ouster of the head of state Mohamed Bazoum, the closure of borders and the introduction of curfew. Prior to this, the Guards blockaded the presidential palace in the capital Niamey. Subsequently, the commander of the Guard, General Abdurahman Tchiani, appeared on television as the head of the National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland. The army command declared solidarity with the rebels. The President continues to be held at the residence.
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